Falmouth Road Race

Back in Falmouth– 2017

Yuri Hosokawa, PhD, ATC

Vice President of Communication, Vice President of Education

Ryan Curtis, MS, ATC, CSCS

Associate Director of Athlete Performance and Safety

 

Our summer is not complete without going to Falmouth, MA, to work at the New Balance Falmouth Road Race medical tent and continue our research and educational initiatives. We have been very fortunate to have the support from the race board members to have KSI presence at the pre-race medical symposium, health & fitness expo, and at the race as medical volunteers and research staff.

 

NB Falmouth Road Race Medical Symposium

With a host of medical volunteers and invited guests in attendance, this year’s NB Falmouth Road Race Medical Symposium featured presentations on a range of relevant topics including recognition and treatment of running-related orthopedic injuries, physiological concerns when developing strategies to optimize performance in the heat, and wearable technologies that can assist in optimizing performance.

 

Veteran NB FRR orthopedic medical provider, Dr. Don O’Malley, drew upon his experneces to give a thorough review of his top 10 running related orthopedic injuries. Dr. William Adams, a member of KSI’s medical and science advisory board and current assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, presented on physiological concerns and strategies when optimizing performance in the heat. The third invited speaker was Ryan Curtis, MS, ATC, CSCS, Associate Director of Athlete Performance and Safety, who discussed integration of wearable technology to optimize performance in the heat.  The symposium was concluded with our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Jardine, who also serves as the Co-Medical Director of the NB Falmouth Road Race. He briefed attendees on the logistics and chain of command that will be followed on the day of the race. Overall, the 2017 NB FRR Medical Symposium featured not only relevant topics in medicine but additionally offered a glance into the future of health and performance optimization.

 

Health & Fitness Expo

This year was our first time to participate in the Health & Fitness Expo as an exhibitor. The increased recognition of the KSI among the Falmouth runners was evident. We had many runners come stop by, and it was such a rewarding experience to have some of them share their personal stories about how they or their family members and friends were saved from exertional heat stroke by the NB Falmouth Road Race medical volunteers.

 

 

At the expo, we also met with this year’s study participants who already participated in a series of laboratory tests at the University of Connecticut in mid-July to early August. These runners were provided with an ingestible thermistor pill, which allow researchers to readily measure their internal body temperature on the day of the race.

 

 

Race Day

Race day for both medical and research volunteers started before dawn on Falmouth Sunday. The research crew set up the morning data collection booth at Lawrence School, which was where all runners met to get on shuttle buses to the starting line in Woods Hole. The research data collection included measurements such as participants’ gastrointestinal temperature, sweat rate, and pre- and post-race blood and urine collection.

 

 

At the medical tent, medical volunteers gathered to review the triage protocol and proper methods for treating exertional heat stroke. Chris Troyanos, Medical Coordinator of the NB Falmouth Road Race, Dr. Jardine and Dr. Robert Davis, the co-medical directors, and Dr. Douglas Casa from KSI lead the group of veteran and novice medical volunteers so that the medical tent was ready for runners who would be finishing the 7.1-mile course in the forecasted warm and humid conditions.

 

 

Findings from the NB Falmouth Road Race study will be analyzed over the course of the next several months and will be prepared for scientific presentations at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and American College of Sports Medicine annual meetings in 2018.

 

 

 #RunFalmouth #Strive2Protect #RaceMedicine

2017 Summer Intern KSI Fellowship Experience

Miwako Suzuki, KSI Intern Fellow

My name is Miwako Suzuki, and I am an Athletic Training student at Indiana State University. Gratefully, I was chosen to receive the opportunity to intern at the Korey Stringer Institute in the Summer Fellowship Program. I am originally from Japan, and I studied Athletic Training there as well. While receiving my education in Japan, I found it necessary to learn more about prevention and management of emergency conditions, and this sense of mission brought me to the United States. I became aware of the KSI four years ago when I was still in Japan through Dr. Yuri Hosokawa, Vice President of Education and Communication at the KSI, and I have been attracted to the KSI since then. The past two months and ten days that I spent with the KSI members were full of great experiences and learning.

Among the several projects that I worked on during the summer, the main focus was placed on the Athletic Training Locations and Services (ATLAS) Project. The aim of the ATLAS Project is to determine the extent of current athletic training services provided in the secondary school setting, and it was launched in January 2016 with these goals:

  • Create a real-time database of athletic training services in secondary schools
  • Create a directory for each state’s athletic training association and high school athletics association
  • Assist states in moving toward full-time athletic training services
  • Provide useful data to each state’s athletic training association and high school athletic association
  • Identify common factors associated with increased athletic training services across the country
  • Provide data to assist with legislative efforts to improve healthcare for high school athletes

 

At the beginning of the summer, the ATLAS Project was at the stage of figuring out the extent of athletic training services in the last 10% of high schools that we had been unable to reach. To reach those schools, I have tried multiple methods such as making phone calls, writing emails to athletic directors, and searching their website for athletic trainer’s information. Even though I made some progress with these strategies, the most effective method was reaching out to athletic trainers of the neighboring high schools of the unknown schools for help. From this experience, I have learned firsthand that ATLAS is not only a great database but also a very useful communication tool. While interacting with high school athletic trainers throughout the nation, many of them showed their appreciation and support for this study. I am very grateful to be one of the members to propel this important project forward. I would like to thank Dr. Robert Huggins for including me in this project and always guiding me. I also would like to thank Sarah Attanasio, ATC, for teaching me and providing help whenever I asked.

Testing for the Falmouth Road Race study began in mid July. We conducted a modified heat tolerance test on recreational runners of a wide range of ages who are participating in the New Balance Falmouth Road Race on August 20th, 2017. Although the study will not be completed until the race day, collecting data on individuals’ physiological responses to exercise in the heat was a great learning opportunity for me. I believe that the wide distribution of demographics of this study allowed me to encounter various responses among the subjects. With regard to conducting a laboratory test, I observed the effort of the KSI members to make the study robust. I was very fortunate to learn from such experienced and passionate colleagues. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Yuri Hosokawa and Kelsey Rynkiewicz, ATC, for their effort to involve me in this study.

 

On August 20th, which will be my last day as a KSI fellow, I will be at the New BalanceFalmouth Road Race and will serve as a medical volunteer with the KSI staff. The Falmouth Road Race has been recognized for its high incidence rate of exertional heat illnesses because of the environmental conditions and its short duration (7.1 miles), which allows runners to maintain relatively high intensity throughout the entire duration of the course. According to a previous study from the KSI, this race has saved multiple exertional heat stroke patients each year. Since I have never encountered a real exertional heat stroke case, I would like to take this opportunity as a great hands-on learning experience.

 

I appreciate every aspect of the activities that I had the opportunity to take part in at the KSI. The KSI was an even greater place than I expected. All the members are making a great effort for their projects with the strong passion and commitment for the KSI’s mission. I believe that this is the reason why the KSI has been successfully leading our profession. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Douglas Casa for providing such a great opportunity. I fully enjoyed summer 2017 with such great colleagues.

New England ACSM Annual Meeting

By Rachel Katch, MS, ATC, Associate Director of Occupational and Military Safety

 

On October 13th & 14th, students and staff from the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut (UConn) attended the annual New England American College of Sports Medicine (NEACSM) conference in Providence, RI titled, “Advancing the Profession – One Step at a Time. Many members of KSI used this platform to present various topics of their interest. Yuri Hosokawa presented on LPS-induced TLR-4 activation during prolonged running and cycling events in hot and humid environments. Rachel Katch presented on the use of the heat stress score and how those can predict preparedness to run in an outdoor race. Gabe Giersch presented her master’s thesis from James Madison University which is titled, The Effect of the CYP1A2 -163 C>A Polymorphism on the Metabolism of Caffeine and Effect on Performance. Abigail Colburn presented her bachelor’s degree research about hydration knowledge and perception in DI NCAA male soccer athletes as well as the influence of water vessel on consumption and perception. Dr. Douglas Casa, Dr. Rebecca Stearns, and Dr. William Adams presented on policy change in sport, epidemiology of sudden death in sport, how policy changes can save lives and protect athletes, and how to initiate policy changes in secondary school athletics.

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At the NEACSM Expo, UConn’s Department of Kinesiology provided information regarding its new Exercise Prescription Online Graduate Certificate Program. This program is for individuals interested in transitioning into the field of Exercise Science, Sports Medicine, Kinesiology, Personal Training, Exercise Physiology, and Health and Fitness. Additionally, this program is targeted at individuals who are looking to enhance their current job credentials or earn degree advancement. This is a 9-credit, three course online graduate certificate that can help advance knowledge base in a very dynamic field, preparing individuals to take their career to the next level.

 

At the completion of this online certificate program, students will:

  • Learn about the nuances of administering exercise stress tests in healthy and unhealthy populations.
  • Become proficient in evaluating a person’s overall health prior to beginning of an exercise program and throughout program maintenance.
  • Understand how to incorporate aerobic, resistance, concurrent, neuromotor and flexibility exercise appropriately into exercise plans.
  • Learn about the underlying processes involved with chronic diseases or special health conditions.
  • Become adept at using the F.I.T.T. (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) principle of exercise prescription to prevent, treat, and manage these conditions.
  • Learn how to develop individualized exercise prescriptions to increase and promote physical activity, fitness, strength, endurance, and flexibility to optimize health and meet athletic performance goals.
  • Learn how to use behavioral strategies to increase adherence with exercise plans.
  • Become adept at recognizing common medication classes likely to be encountered by health/fitness professionals, and how they may influence the exercise responses.

 

The application deadline for the Spring 2017 semester is December 2nd, 2016. More information and applications can be found online at http://exerciseprescription.uconn.edu.

Back in Falmouth

By Yuri Hosokawa, MAT, ATC, Director of Communication and Education

IMG_8657Twenty-seven research and medical volunteers from the Korey Stringer Institute, EC Lee Lab and University of Connecticut joined the 44th New Balance Falmouth Road Race in Falmouth, MA on August 21st. This was the fourth consecutive year in which KSI conducted a field research study at the race in conjunction with working in the medical tent treating exertional heat stroke patients. In this year’s study, we aimed to (1) investigate runner’s knowledge on heat and hydration and behaviors on race day and (2) investigate the use of real time gastrointestinal temperature feedback in altering runner’s behavior during the race. We also assessed participants’ readiness to exercise in the heat by measuring their cardiovascular fitness and their response to heat stress in our environmental chamber.

 

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KSI’s Rebecca Stearns, PhD, ATC and Luke Belval, MS, ATC also spoke at the Medical Symposium hosted by the Falmouth Hospital, which was attended by many medical volunteers and local healthcare professionals. Dr. Stearns’ presentation, The Tale of Two Heat Strokes, introduced case studies of two runners who suffered from exertional heat stroke at the same race with distinctly different prognosis due to the different treatment they received. Belval’s presentation, The Fluid Needs for Today’s Athletes, provided evidence-based suggestions on hydration. At the Health & Fitness Expo, William Adams, PhD, ATC spoke on Optimizing Safety and Maximizing Performance During Running the Heat, which was attended by many runners who were going to be racing the following day.

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We would like to thank the Falmouth Road Race Board of Directors for their continued support and partnership with the Korey Stringer Institute in supporting our mission to educate runners and continue our research in ways to optimize their performance and safety during warm weather road races such as Falmouth Road Race.

 

 

 

2015 New Balance Falmouth Road Race

Falmouth Group Picture

By Yuri Hosokawa, Director of Communication and Education

Korey Stringer Institute had another successful year working with the Falmouth Road Race, which took place on Sunday August 16th. KSI and the Falmouth Road Race expanded their collaboration together even further this year. On August 13th, William Adams, Director of Sports Safety Policies, Yuri Hosokawa, Director of Communication and Education, and Rachel Katch, Assistant Director of Research, presented at the 1st Annual New Balance Falmouth Road Race Sports Medicine Symposium, with Dr. John Jardine, Chief Medical Advisor of KSI. This was the first time that Falmouth Road Race hosted a medical symposium for local medical professionals and volunteers who have traveled across the country to work at the medical tent on race day. At the symposium, Adams presented on evidence based prevention, treatment, and care of exertional heat stroke, Hosokawa presented on emerging topics on sudden cardiac arrest in runners, and Katch presented on exertional hyponatremia and best practices for hydration. On August 15th, Dr. Robert Huggins, Vice President of Research and Elite Athlete Health and Performance, spoke at the EXPO on maximizing athletic performance in the heat.

 

Huggins and Meb

Also during race weekend, we had the opportunity to invite professional videographers to film interviews with Richard Dodakian, one of the exertional heat stroke survivors from the Falmouth Road Race, and Huggins. As they recalled the same event from 2013’s race, it was incredible to hear their stories from different perspectives—exertional heat stroke victim/survivor and the rescuer. The interview is currently under production. Please follow our social media and webpage for the video release. Their words will change the way you view medical care provided at the road race for thousands of runners. Remember, exertional heat stroke is 100% survivable with prompt recognition and appropriate care: cool first, transport second.

Richard Interview

This year’s race was very warm and humid, setting a perfect storm for exertional heat illness risk. To counter that, the road race organizers came prepared with rows of cold water immersion tubs and stations, with close to 200 medical professionals volunteering on the race day. KSI primarily assisted in the care of exertional heat stroke patients, educating the medical volunteers who are unfamiliar with the condition at the pre-race medical meeting and serving as leaders at each cooling station.

FFR CWI

We were also fortunate to have representatives from our corporate partners, Kestrel and MissionAthlete Care, to join us at the race as volunteer. It was their first time to experience the intensity of a road race medical tent and see the treatment of exertional heat stroke cases.

 

Kestrel

Lastly, Hosokawa and Katch conducted the third field research study at the Falmouth Road Race, looking into the inflammatory response observed in runners completing the race. The study started 4 weeks before race, where the participants were asked to log their training. In addition, researchers invited the participants to the University of Connecticut campus to complete VO2max and lactate threshold testing to examine their fitness level prior to the race. Hosokawa is also working in collaboration with the EC Lee Lab, lead by Dr. Elaine Lee, at the University of Connecticut, to investigate potential genetic markers that may explain the variations of heat tolerance observed in runners. Our hope is to provide evidence-based recommendations for runners who are participating in the summer races and assist the Falmouth Road Race to become one of the safest summer road races in the world.

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Falmouth Road Race weekend is by far the busied but most exciting weekend for KSI. We hope that our collaboration with the race will continue to grow in future years and hopefully inspire other races to have similar partnerships with KSI.